More On Confession

This is PART II of my discussion on confession.  For the PART I, click here.

I sometimes feel like the modern protestant church has abandoned confession almost all together because they feel the Catholics took it to an extreme.  But let me tell you, whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Pentecostal  or any other denomination, you can take this principle to heart and it will improve the relationships in your life. How do I know that confession is good for us regardless of where we are or who we affiliate ourselves with on any given Sunday?

The bible says so.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 (NIV) 

When we confess our sin, we do a few things:

1. We heal relationships and break down walls between each other.

2. We remind each other (and ourselves) that we all have our own faults.

3. We create real bonds through our transparency.

4. We can pray for each other better when we really know each other.

Let me tell you though, the best thing about confessing is the freedom that it creates. When you are in a relationship with someone and you can admit imperfections (and I mean specific imperfections) it allows them to see who you really are. When someone knows your faults and weaknesses they can also help you with them. The thing is you have to stick with it. Be open and honest with each other. If you hurt someone, fess up, even if they didn't realize it was you who hurt them.

My wife and I are reading through author Gary Chapman's book, The Five Languages of Apology. First off, I highly recommend the book. And while not dealing directly with the idea of confession, it really makes the aftermath of confession make more sense. Let's face it, if you have been living in a marriage or friendship that hasn't been built on honesty, at first, living more openly will be pretty challenging. Feelings might get hurt, battles might ensue, and white flags might need to be raised. But gaining a deeper understanding of how to apologize and why people need a real apology can only help you.

The picture on the right hand side is the sort of attitude that allows real transparency and genuine confession in a relationship. When you love unconditionally it allows for open expression.  I've seen the first part of the saying many times on the internet, but it really is the second sentence that sums it up for me. "I'll stand by you."
It is simple and yet, beautiful.

So I encourage you, give confession a chance. Let someone that you trust in on your weaknesses and they can help build you up in Christ. You'll be amazed at what can happen. Who knows your willingness to open up might allow the other person to receive the gift of going second.